2017 Wrap up

​Really proud of our boys in 2017 – they both achieved lots of milestones – much thanks to my fantastic husband John, to wonderful friends Andrea Lipscombe for her brilliant strapping, Catherine Macey for great plaiting for all the shows & my wonderful eyes on the ground Chris Thompson.

- Official Eventers, Show Horses and Showjumpers trained and competed to success

- A wealth of experience in all EA disciplines

- Safety a priority at all times

Wendy Barker

Poles Clinic at Ellis Brook

Poles Clinic - at Ellis BrookPoles are great cross-training – they improve his confidence, balance & proprioception & help you to ride better.

You can choose a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced class – max 4 per class. We are starting early in case it is hot.Poles lesson (max 4 per class) $30.00 - 60 minute lesson Cavalletti lesson $30.00 - 60 minute lesson

Poles are a great way to Freshen a horse who likes variety in his flatwork Build confidence in a horse that needs gentle exposure to new experiences Improve horses’ sixth sense – proprioception – the vital link between movement & sensation

Proprioception is the ability to sense stimuli in the body related to position, motion & equilibrium.

Top horses, just like top human athletes, have a highly developed sense of awareness of the signals sent from their joints, tendons, muscles & skin. Poles offer valuable way to enhance a horse’s (as well as his rider’s) proprioception.​Call 0409 065 304 or email wendybarker.ebtc@gmail.com for more info.Hope to see you there!Wendy

Ellis Brook Training Centre in 2017

​2017 is shaping up to be an exciting year of dressage for Wendy & John. Max had many super scores in 2016, his best score was 79.6%. His breeding is impeccable, Donnerhall, De Niro, Dancier on the sire’s side, and Weltmeyer on the dam’s side. Wendy said, ‘He has given me some fabulous rides at home, and thanks to Mel Emery & Teagan Sutton he has been competed lightly, & has adjusted well to Australian conditions. We are looking forward to seeing him earn more great scores when he makes his debut into official competition in 2017.’

​After a successful start in Big Tour at the end of 2016, Hamish & Wendy plan to gain more experience at Grand Prix over the coming year. Wendy said ‘Over the past few years I have been fortunate to have trained three of our horses to do the Grand Prix work at clinics & at home, but none were ready to put all the pieces together to compete Big Tour before they retired. The FEI’s introduction of the Medium Tour Tests (Intermediate A & B) has really helped riders to bridge the enormous gulf from Inter I to Inter II. Thanks to mileage in the Medium Tour, Hamish & I can now ride pretty respectable Big Tour tests at home, but under competition pressure, our limited experience in Big Tour costs us marks. As we gain more mileage at this level I feel sure we will improve. I still need to pinch myself sometimes as I my lifelong dream to compete at Grand Prix comes true!’

NCAS Coaches - Face to Face Course - Sat 21- Sun 22 January 2017

Congratulations to Ellis Brook Lorenzo who has been selected onto the EWA State Dressage Squad again for 2013!

Lorenzo is one of a small number of Australian-bred horses to be selected, while most horses on the Senior Squad are imported horses. Lorenzo was Prix St Georges Dressage Horse of the Year in 2012, and has also been successful in Intermediate I competitions recently. He has Gold Dressage Performance Medals in Medium and Advanced Levels, and a Silver FEI Performance Medal. He has been on the EWA High Performance Squad since 2010, and was EWA Hi Point Leaderboard Winner, and Narbethong Leaderboard Winner in 2009. ‘Lorenzo was a green, and pretty complicated 6 year old when we bought him, so he didn’t start to compete until he was a 7 year old, we feel he has achieved a lot, because he was quite a challenge as a green horse,’ said John Barker.

Ellis Brook News

For the first week of May, Wendy is looking forward to being in Mannheim, Germany for a 4* & 5* FEI Judges’ Clinic. The Clinic will be held alongside the Mannheim Masters CDI3* and CPEDI3* held in concert with the famous Maimarkt (May Fair). Maimarkt is the biggest trade fair in Europe, and is particularly special this year because it is celebrating its 50th anniversary. ‘It will be fantastic to catch up with many friends at the Clinic, and to see the best competitors from around the world vying for places on the podium’ said Wendy. ‘Our sport is changing very rapidly, it is important to go to Europe to keep up with all the latest ideas.’

She heads back to the UK in July to judge at Hartpury CPEDI3* in Gloucestershire, then stays on to judge at Bishop Burton CPEDI2* in Yorkshire. Wendy said, ‘Hartpury is a fabulous event, regarded as the biggest CPEDI3* in the world, attracting a huge number of international competitors, and we hope to see a few Australian riders there, gaining points for Normandy World Equestrian Games. ‘I am looking forward to judging at Bishop Burton again, they made John and myself feel very welcome last time. Bishop Burton is a beautifully appointed venue, constructed as an Olympic preparation venue for international horses competing at the London Olympics.’